Revolving name plate



Nov.' 17, 1925. 1,561,830

w. c. CONNELL REVOLVING NAME PLATE Filed Jan. '7, 1925 INVENTOR filter 0. 60077014 ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 17, 1925.

' WALTER c. .GONNTELL, OBFYAKIMA, WASHINGTON.

REVOLVING NAME PLATE.

Apphcation filed January 7, 1925. Serial No. 1,074.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVALTEP. C. CoNNELL, a citizen of. the United States, and resident of Yakima, in the county of Yakima and State of IVashington, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Revolving Name Plates, of which the following is a specification.

This'xinvention relates to improvements in name plates, and it consists of the constructions, combinations and arrangements herein described and claimed.- p An object of the invention is to provide a name plate adapted primarily for J use on motor vehicles, one of the characteristics thereof being that the name plate is revoluble under the force of a moving current of air thereby attracting the attention of passers by. v a I Another object of the invention is to provide a radiator ornament which consists of a selected emblem, preferably in some way indicative of the place of origin of the motor. vehicle, there being combined with the-emblem a revoluble plate bearing the name of said place, the two combined constituting an advertising novelty. v

Other objectsof the invention is to provide a nameplate which is arranged to spin when in a moving current of air, the spinning of the plate making-it possible to read the name imprinted thereon from all radial positions- Another object of the inventionis to providefa novel twisted wire clamp by which the ornament is applied to the filling neck of a radiator.

Other objects .and advantages appear in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of enough of a radiator to illustrate the application of the ornament.

Figure 2 is a combined elevation and sectional view illustrating structure fully described farther down.

Figure 3 is a side elevation again showing the ornament in place upon a radiator filling neck.

Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of the twisted wire support, illustrating how the clamp is made.

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view of the revoluble name plate.

As already briefly stated in the foregoing objects of the invention, it is the purpose of the radiator ornament to produce an advertising display of the place or community at which the motor vehicle and driver originated. To cite a specific example, use is made of an emblem 1, representing an apple with which is combined a plate 2 on both'sides of which is printed the name Yakima. The obvious inference is that the apple is from the Yakima Valley, the name on the plate confirming the impression created by the apple.

In order that the ornament may be rendered more conspicuous, the name plate 2 is so made and mounted that it will revolve when a current of air blows thereagainst. The name is easily read when the plate revolves, and the readiness with which the name may be read increases with the speed of revolution. Thisfeature has the decided advantage of permitting reading the name at all radial positions. In other words, the name Yakima may beread whether a passer by is at the front, sides or back.

A shaft 3 carries the name plate 2. This shaft is journaled in a bearings: inside of the emblem 1. The emblem is made in two halves (Fig. 2), telescoping or fitting together substantially as shown,it being the lower half that carries the bearing upon which the shaft is supported. This bearing is nothing more than a tubular piece of metal which has a sufficiently long solid portion to permit introducing a screw 5, or

other suitable fastening device, for the purpose of securing the emblem to the support or bracket 6.

In order to hold the shaft in place upon the emblem use is made of a smaller collar 7 (Fig. 2). This collar is slid up on the shaft and soldered or otherwise fixed in position before the halves of the emblem are assembled.

The name plate is suitably mounted upon the upper end of the shaft 3. The halves of the plateare bent in opposite directions as at 8 and 9, and these halves have upstanding wings 10 and 11 which are also bent in the general direction of the halves themselves. For example, the half 8 of the plate is bent backward from the observer in Fig. 2 and the wing 10 is also bent backward at a slightly increased angle. plainly seen in Figures 3 and 5. The result of this structure is that the plate 2 becomes a propeller. It revolves upon its bearing either when air blows thereagainst This can be p ill or when the vehicleupon which the device is mounted moves forwardly.

Mention has already been made of the support or bracket 6. This consists of a single strand of wire of sufficiently heavy gauge for the purpose intended. The wire is twisted at 12 to produce a shank, the looped terminus 13 being that part through which the screw passes to fasten the emblem 1 upon the support. One strand of the wire is bent in a semi-circle 1 1 and terminates in a straight end which is threaded to receive the wing nut 16.

The other strand of the wire is carried in front of the semicircle as at 17, looped at 18 around the straight wire 15 and carried back where it terminates in a hook 19. This hook fits around the shank 12 substantially as shown. The semi-circle 14 and front portion 17 are applied to the filling neck 20 of the radiator 21, and by screwing down on the wing nut 16 the support is clamped thereto.

The operation is readily understood. The wire support or bracket 6 is clamped upon the filling neck'20 of a radiator, the semi-circle 14 and front portion 17 being adaptable to a variety of sizes of filling necks. It is the support 6 that carries the emblem 1 and the rotatable name plate 2.

The character of the emblem will vary, it being intended that the emblem shall be appropriate to designate the place from which the motorist comes. The illustration chosen is that of an apple which represents the chief product of the Yakima Valley. It is not essential that the emblem consist of an actual model as in the case here represented, because the emblem may consist of a stamping or casting of metal, in fact so many varieties ofeniblems may be employed that it is impossible to state all of the sperific kinds. it is also intended that the name plate itself shall be of such dimensions and of such material as particular uses may dictate.

Upon blowing of the wind against the name plate orupon the moving forward of the vehicle which carries the name plate, the latter revolves or spins like a propeller. The name plate may be painted in fancy colors to attract passerslov. The name imprinted on the name plate is not obliterated upon rotation, as might be imagined, but on the contrary is readily readable regardless of where the passerby stands.

While the construction and arrangement of the improved name plate or ornament is substantially as herein described and claimed, obviously modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A device for the purpose described comprising a wire bracket with portions arranged to clamp upon the filling neck of a radiator, an emblem secured to the bracket, a shaft, means at which the emblem is secured to the bracket including a metallic piece constituting a bearing for the shaft, means on the shaft engaging a part of the emblem to keep the shaft in place, and a name plate carried by the shaft, said plate consisting of oppositely bent portions resembling a propeller, said portions. having bent wings over which Wl'lldiS intended to pass to produce revolutions of the name plate. i

2. A radiator ornament comprising a model made in halves, a bearing situated in the lower half, a shaft threaded through the upper half and being arranged to rest in the bearing when the halves are assembled, means including a collaron the shaft to engage the upper half on the. insideand prevent pulling out of the shaft,'a supporting bracket, means'passed through the bracket and into the bearing to hold the model in place upon the bracket, and a propeller-like name plate carried by the shaft above the model, said name plate being rotatable by wind pressure.

WALTER O. CON NELL. 

